


Not In That Way

by MelanatedRavenclaw



Series: Fire On Fire [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, One Shot, Zuko Deserves Nice Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24819151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelanatedRavenclaw/pseuds/MelanatedRavenclaw
Summary: “Aang, I’m sorry. Believe me, I love you but not in that way. You’re my best friend and I know it may not be the place in my heart you wanted to hold, but you will forever be one of the most important people in my life.”Aang said nothing. The silence went on for a while, so long that Katara feared Aang would never speak.“Katara, is it because of him?” Aang asked, voice low. Katara thought she misheard.“Excuse me?”“Is it because of him?” Aang repeated louder.“Him?” Katara furrowed her brow in confusion. He couldn’t mean…“I see the way you look at him, and…the way he looks at you.” Aang offered her a sad smile.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Fire On Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797913
Comments: 13
Kudos: 171





	Not In That Way

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

**_"I'd never ask you cause deep down_ **  
**_I'm certain I know what you'd say_ **  
**_You'd say I'm sorry believe me_ **  
**_I love you but not in that way"_ **

* * *

Katara straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. She had been holding off doing this for a while. But, she could hold off no more. It wasn’t fair to any of them. They both deserved better.

It had been three years since the final battle against the Fire Lord and Aang had kissed her in victory. She had let him, caught up in her own excitement.

However, that was then. This was now.

Aang had been busy helping to rebuild in any way he could, Katara had been splitting her time in the southern water tribe and traveling, learning the movements of other benders. She wholeheartedly believed in the power of learning from other benders. The proof was in her and Zuko. Both of them had learned moves from other each other and Toph through their travels and they were the better benders for it.

Zuko whole-heartedly supported her mission and was currently having her teach water-bending movements to young fire benders. After, this she was going to head to Ba Se Sing and teach children at one of the local schools. Zuko was planning to join her, schedule permitting.

Aang had recently come to visit the fire nation to see her and Zuko. Katara had been excited to see him, as she had missed him, but she was also a little apprehensive. They hadn’t talked about the kiss, even though it was three years ago. The two of them, for the most part, pretended it hadn’t happened. However, their last conversation had been him confessing that he loved her and she had yet to respond.

The truth was she didn’t know how to feel. So, she pushed it all aside in favor of focusing on her work. Unfortunately, she couldn't avoid him any longer. She told him to meet her at the fountain in the back of the house.

Walking upon the pond, she saw him standing, staff in hand. He had grown, he was now finally taller than her and had filled out some as well. She smiled, she still wasn’t sure what to say to him. She knew how she felt, but she didn’t want to hurt the boy that she grew to love so much.

As if sensing her arrival, he turned around and gave her a brilliant smile. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her own face. She ran and thew her arms around his neck.

“I’ve missed you,” Aang whispered to her ear as they hugged.

Katara pulled away slightly so she could see his face, “I’ve missed you too. I want to hear everything about your travels.”

Aang laughed and released her, the two of them walked to sit under a tree next to the pond.

“Honestly, it hasn’t been as fun as you’d think. I just offer assistance when needed and I’m often brought in to overlook treaties for fairness.”

Katara nodded. She figured his work would be more on the peace-keeping side than anything else.

“What about you? Sokka tells me you spend a lot of time in the Fire Nation.”

“I do. I’ve been working with Zuko on a curriculum for all benders to be able to learn from each other.”

“I’m surprised Zuko has so much time, being fire lord and all.”

Katara shrugged. “He is very busy, similar to you he’s trying to make amends and prove the Fire Nation is not all bad. If I’m being honest, I worry about him. He does so much and doesn’t get to rest as much as he needs to.”

“Yeah, I’m sure the break up with Mei didn’t help either. Were you here for that?”

“Yes, I was.”

“Hm, did Zuko ever tell you why they broke up?”

Katara averted her gaze, this line of conversation was dangerous. It was dredging up things she wasn’t ready to mention quite yet.

“I’m sure it was a number of things, have you seen Toph lately?”

Thankfully Aang didn’t seem to notice her shift in conversation topics instead he continued right on.

“Yeah! Toph is doing really well. She’s training earth benders now.”

“I miss her. I miss all of us being together. We had some good times.”

“Yeah, we did.” Aang agreed.

He scratched the back of his head in a clear nervous gesture.

“I’ve really missed you Katara.”

“I’ve missed you too Aang,” she smiled at him.

She watched as Aang started to play with his staff. Katara was once again struck at how much he had seemed to mature.

“Katara...”Aang paused as if trying to find a way to articulate his thoughts. “Katara, the last time we spoke…I told you something.”

Aang glanced up at her, his eyes showing her a million different things.

“And, now I want to know if you have a response. Because Katara my feelings haven’t changed. I still love you, Katara. I think about you constantly. Part of me thinks I should give you up, but then there’s still a big part of me that’s holding out hope that you’ll one day feel the same way. That’s why I came here actually. I wanted to talk to you about this.”

Katara could feel her heart beating in her chest. She wanted to back out but she knew that would be cowardly. She just didn’t want to ruin their friendship, because Aang was truly her best friend.

She grabbed his hand and waited for him to look at her. Katara could feel the familiar prickle of pain behind her eyes as her eyes welled up with tears.

“Aang, I’m sorry. Believe me, I love you but not in that way. You’re my best friend and I know it may not be the place in my heart you wanted to hold, but you will forever be one of the most important people in my life.”

Aang said nothing. The silence went on for a while, so long that Katara feared Aang would never speak.

“Katara, is it because of him?” Aang asked, voice low. Katara thought she misheard.

“Excuse me?”

“Is it because of him?” Aang repeated louder.

“Him?” Katara furrowed her brow in confusion. He couldn’t mean…

“I see the way you look at him, and…the way he looks at you.” Aang offered her a sad smile.

“Even when we were younger, you would assure me that you had no feeling for Zuko but I think always knew. And even now, I see the way you two interact at dinner, it’s as if you’re two halves of a whole.”

Katara visibly drew back at that. Where did that come from?

“Aang, I promise you. I’ve never lied to you. I didn’t…at least not then.”

“Now you do have feelings?”

“Aang, we don’t have to talk about this,” Katara said while closing her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it with anyone. She just knew it would make him uncomfortable.

“No. I want to know. Why him and why not me?”

“Aang, it’s not really something I can control. I’m sure you didn’t wake up and decide you were going to like me.”

She could feel herself getting frustrated, she didn’t want to do this. However, she also knew this moment wasn’t about her. If Aang needed this, then she would give it. It was the least she could do for breaking his heart in two.

“No, I guess I didn’t. But, Katara are you sure?”

Was she sure? About Zuko? Yes. “I am.”

“Does he make you happy?”

“Yes, he does.”

“Katara, does he know you as I do? Does he know what you look like when you’re sick? Does he know how you felt when you became a water bending master? Does he know your favorite flower?”

Aang was pleading with her at this point. She closed her eyes again in anguish. She wanted to run away from this conversation, but she also knew how she felt about Zuko and if Aang wanted to know why Zuko then she would tell him.

“No, Aang he doesn’t know those things. But, he was there to comfort me through my nightmares after the war, and he makes me laugh, and he’s learned how to make my favorite foods, and he makes me believe I can do anything.”

“I see.” Aang stood up.

Katara stood with him, “Aang.”

“I just need a minute, but I’m happy for you. If this is what you want.” Aang walked off. Katara watched him go, she wanted to stop him but what would she say? She knew she hurt him and so he needed time to cool off.

Katara sank to the floor, she didn’t regret telling him, she knew it would come out eventually. The fact didn’t stop her heart from hurting any less. She stayed there for a while, a steady stream of tears still falling from her eyes. The thought of hurting her best friend hurt her so much.

She tensed as strong arms wrapped around her, pressing her into someone’s chest. Their hands went to her hair as they ran their fingers through it.

“Katara, are you okay?” She relaxed as she recognized Zuko’s deep rumble.

“I told him.” She said voice hoarse from the tears.

“I see.”

Zuko didn’t say anything after that, he just hugged her tighter.

“I didn’t want to hurt him. And Zuko, he knew. He knew about us.”

“Really?”

Zuko wiped the remaining tears from her face, then he pulled her up.

“Yes.” Katara said as she trailed behind Zuko. He didn’t say anything as he led her to her bedroom. When they entered, he directed her toward her couch where he sat down and pulled her down with him. She curled into him, sighing at the familiar touch.

Katara hadn’t lied to Aang. She didn’t have feelings for Zuko three years ago. No, these feelings were more recent. They were gradual. She had spent a lot of time with Zuko after the war as he acclimated to being the Fire Lord. She was there for him during the day when his role seemed impossible, and he was there for her at night when her screams would wake the entire palace.

They found comfort in each other, both of them had scars from the war. Physical and emotional. With help from one another, they slowly began to heal. Katara couldn’t pinpoint exactly when she knew she had romantic feelings for Zuko. She just remembered the day she woke up without any nightmares and she had just learned that Sokka and Suki were to be married. It was the first time she had experienced real happiness in a long time and the only person she wanted to share it with was him.

She knew the two of them didn’t make sense, which is why they hid their relationship. If that’s what they were going to call it. They had never officially defined their relationship. Katara didn’t think it was right to do that before she spoke to Aang. She may have never promised herself to Aang but he has confessed his feelings to her, and she still owed him a response. Zuko had understood and promised to support her in any path she chose.

“How did he know about us?” Zuko’s question brought her back to him.

“He said he could see it in how we looked at each other…like we’re two halves of one whole.”

“Hm. Aang has definitely gotten more perceptive over the years.

“I agree. We had dinner with Sokka and Suki two weeks ago and they suspected nothing.”

“So, how do you feel?” Zuko asked her. He had started lightly scratching her back. It soothed her but was also most likely going to put her to sleep.

“My heart hurts for hurting him.”

“I heard from one of my advisers that he has already left, he’s headed to the Earth Kingdom. Presumably to see Toph.”

Katara smiled slightly at that, “I hope after his head clears, he’s able to continue this perceptive streak and start to wonder why Toph is who he runs to when his world is falling apart.”

“Aang and Toph, huh?”

“It’s just a theory.”

“I always thought Toph liked Sokka.”

Katara nodded as she began to play with the man’s hand that wasn’t currently rubbing her back. “She did. Toph reminds me a lot of Aang. She also wanted someone that didn’t return her feelings.”

“You think she likes Aang?”

“I’m not sure, but I do think they should keep an open mind about one another.”

“I know he left, but do you think he’ll return?”

“Not anytime soon. I think he needs some space, which is fair.”

The two of them sat in a content silence for a while before Zuko spoke again.

“You know when I first realized I had feelings for you I almost didn’t want to act on them.”

Katara lifted her head to look at him. This surprised her.

“Really?”

“Yes, being with you was amazing. I was loving our time together, but I knew I wanted more, and that didn’t seem fair to you. You didn’t deserve to be saddled to someone like me. Not to mention, I think we all knew how Aang felt about you.”

“When did you first realize you had feelings for me?”

“It was after my breakup with Mei. Do you remember that night?”

She nodded. Of course, she did. It was the first night that Zuko had been the one crying out from nightmares instead of her.

“I remember going to your room and finding you in the middle of broken glass.”

Katara felt Zuko’s grip around her tighten as he remembered the night also. She looked up at him but he continued to stare straight ahead.

“Do you know why Mei broke up with me?”

Katara shook her head.

“It was because she felt that I was no longer only hers, and she refused to share me with someone else.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, it took me a while to realize what she meant by that. But, then you came into my room and you helped me clean up the glass and you healed my hand. You didn’t ask me any questions, you just held me until I went back to sleep.”

Zuko finally looked back at him, his gold eyes twinkling as if in awe.

“You’re always saving me Katara.”

“You save me too, Zuko. You know that right? You have to know that it’s not a chore to be with you.”

Zuko turned away from her. He refused to meet her gaze.

“Zuko, look at me.”

“Katara.” He sighed, still refusing to look at her.

“Zuko, I’m serious. I need you to know that.”

Katara knew how much Zuko was obsessed with other’s opinions of him. Most people were happy with the new Fire Lord’s efforts to maintain peace but there were still a number of people that despised the Fire Nation. Katara knew change wouldn’t happen instantly, especially after years of oppression. She knew if it wasn’t for her knowing Zuko personally, she may not have been able to believe him either.

She knew that Zuko took on so much responsibility and rarely took time for himself, it was why she constantly tried to remind him to take care of himself.

“I know, Katara.” Zuko turned to give her a small smile.

She gently reached her hand up to cup his non-scarred face. Zuko had once told her that she was the only person he’d ever let touch his scar before back when they were young.

“I still don’t think I deserve you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Katara smiled at him. She meant it - when she had first met Zuko it hadn’t been on the best of terms but that was all in the past now. When she looked at him, she didn’t see that boy anymore. Instead, she saw a man that had walked through fire, literally, and managed to come out alive still fighting.

She saw the man that held her when she cried.

The man that enjoyed theatre and poetry.

The man that stayed up all night trying to perfect jasmine tea for his Uncle.

That was who she saw when she stared into his golden eyes. She would spend the rest of her life proving to him just how lucky she felt if she needed to.

Katara leaned up and threw one leg over Zuko’s so she was straddling him. He stared up at her, eyes wide. They had yet to do anything physical besides cuddle, and Katara was suddenly struck by the desire to kiss him.

She leaned her face down slowly, not breaking eye contact, she wanted the man to be able to stop them if he so desired. She watched as his eyes flicked down to her lips and then back up to her eyes.

She closed her eyes as she gently pressed her lips to his. His lips were warm and slightly chapped. She could feel Zuko’s hands wrapping in her hair and on her waist pulling her close as he deepened the kiss. It felt like electricity going through her body, as they continued this dance of their tongues. Each time they broke apart to breathe, the other would then lean back in to catch the other’s lips again.

It was exhilarating.

Katara felt like she could do this forever.

Zuko pulled away from her, and she heard a whine escape from her lips. Katara could feel her heartbeat racing as she rested her forehead on Zuko’s.

“Wow,” Zuko said, voice gruff.

Katara was still unable to speak so she just hummed in agreement.

Katara opened her mouth to speak, but before she could there was a knock at the door. She stood up to get off Zuko and went to answer the door. It was a soldier, they were looking for Zuko and assumed he was in here. She tried to fight the blush that was threatening to show on her face from the assumption.

She motioned to Zuko to get the door and then walked back to the couch. Sinking down she touched her lips in awe. Zuko was not her first kiss, not by a long shot. But, he was the first kiss that made her feel things. She wondered if he had been as impacted by the kiss as she had.

When Zuko came back he looked tense. She wasn’t surprised, every time he returned from being summoned he always seemed to come back with new stress.

Katara stood up and walked over to him. “What is it?”

“They…they think they found her.”

“Found her, found who?”

Zuko was starting to scare her. He was staring at her, but it didn’t appear he was seeing her.

“Zuko.” She grabbed his arm to try and bring him back to the present.

She watched as Zuko shook himself and looked back at her.

“My mom, Katara they think they’ve found my mom.”

“Oh my gosh!” Katara jumped into his arms to give him a hug. “Zuko, that’s amazing.”

“Yeah, it is. But, I mean it could not be her.”

“Or it could be! I can’t believe you aren’t more excited about this.” Katara stared at him questioningly.

Zuko spoke softly, eyes cast downward. “Katara..I’ve done a lot of things since she last saw me. What if I’m a disappointment to her?”

“Zuko,” she grabbed his face in her hands, “There is no way you could be a disappointment to her. Your mom knew your father, and the position he put you in. She’s only going to be excited to see you. Do you understand?”

Zuko nodded.

“Now, where is she?”

“Well, we thought she was somewhere in the Fire Nation, but after being unsuccessful for years we decided to expand the search. They believe she’s hiding in Ba Sing Se. She managed to escape where my father kept her hidden away.”

“Wow, when do you leave?”

“Tomorrow. I want to leave as soon as possible to find her.”

Katara nodded, that made sense to her. She would also want to leave as soon as she could if it was her parent they were searching for.

“Katara, there’s one other thing.”

The change in Zuko’s voice made her curious. He sounded almost shy.

“Would you come with me? To find her?”

“Of course, I’ll come with you,” Katara said to him earnestly and without hesitation.

She grabbed his hands, “I don’t know how you thought I would let you leave without me.”

Zuko laughed at that. She smiled at his laugh, it was truly one of her favorite sounds.

“It’s fitting I guess, you’ve always been there for me at the hardest moments of my life. I don’t know why I expected this one to be different.”

He must have been able to read the confusion on Katara’s face because he spoke again.

“You were there to encourage me to make amends with my Uncle. And then when Azula challenged me to Agnai Kai you were there. I don’t know how I never saw it before. It seems like whenever I needed you most you were there.”

Katara blushed at the praise.

“Again I say, the feeling is mutual. You’ve been there a lot for me too, Zuko. You always say that I’m constantly saving you, but I don’t know if you’ve realized that you save me too. After all, not many people can say they took a bolt of lightning for me.”

Katara chuckled at the last part, and Zuko’s face broke into a beaming smile.

“I would take a bolt of lightning for you any day,” Zuko said as he leaned closer to Katara.

“Let’s hope you don’t have to,” Katara smiled.

Zuko leaned down and pressed his lips to Katara’s. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of having his lips on hers.

Katara was the one to pull away this time. “Do you think your mom will like me?"

Zuko smiled, "She's going to love you. She'll probably wonder why you're with someone like me."

Katara swatted his shoulder and rolled her eyes. "One day Zuko, I'm going to get you to stop with the self-deprecating humor."

"Nope, it's my armor," Zuko replied, eyes twinkling.

"Your armor, huh? Well, I hear armor can be kind of heavy, and so maybe you should take it off."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "I'll take off my armor, but only if you'll help."

Katara wasn't sure if they were still talking about him taking off his burdens or something else...but her answer was the same either way.

"I'll always help you take off anything." She responded with a smirk.

"The feeling is mutual," Zuko said as he leaned down to cover her lips with his own again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 
> 
> This was my very first Avatar fic, I doubt it will be my last. I'm already kind of thinking of continuing this story with a sequel story about their journey to finding his mom so be on the lookout for that. 
> 
> Anyway, I would love to hear your opinions! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe! <3
> 
> \- MR :)


End file.
